


Burning Down the Pearl Gates

by kekecocoa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Eventual Smut, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Pining, Power Dynamics, tags will be updated as chapters post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-09 09:32:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10409130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kekecocoa/pseuds/kekecocoa
Summary: Keith was unsure about accepting the position of Divine’s Sentinel - the sole bodyguard of the Diviner for the Gods. He only just completed his first real assignment as a fully fledged knight and was in no way experienced enough to take such a highly esteemed position. Not to mention his half-galran heritage during a time of political tension with the Galra Empire made it difficult for him to imagine that he would ever be accepted among the elite Altean nobility that he would be forced to deal with. He’d much rather be out on the border with soldiers who could at least come to respect his strength and abilities as a fighter. Being trapped inside the palace as chaperon to one of Altea’s most important and reclusive leaders sounded boring and altogether uninteresting.But he found it hard to say no when Shiro looked so stressed.He had heard about the new Divine. He was about Keith’s age, Altean (of course. they’d never accept anything else), and had spent over half his life inside the palace walls being waited on hand and foot. So he expected he'd be a spoiled boy with a nasty attitude, or maybe he would live up to his title and be serene and wise beyond his years.He did not expect Lance.





	1. A Match was Struck

**Author's Note:**

> hey whats up guys im back with a new au bc I Love To Suffer :))) this was a thing i had started a week ago as a way to chill out after someone did something Not Okay and it turned into a monster. srsly, this was only going to be like Oracle-Altean!Lance / Half-Galra-Guardsman!Keith semi-forbidden smut and then im like okay?? but whats the political climate like??? so yeah basically i have no concept of the word "chill" and like half of this is just world building and backstory. Im So Tired
> 
> also sorry to any dragon age peeps for using "Divine" as a title. it confused me too but im too stubborn to change it at this point
> 
> thanks as always to pearlgirl710 for beta :)

Keith wasn’t sure what to make of the Divine.

 

From what he had heard growing up, the Diviner for the Gods was supposed to be a wise, serene, all-knowing sage who guided the kingdom to prosperity and, at the time, she probably was. Keith only saw her once from a distance at a Midsummer Festival, but her calm presence commanded the full attention of the thousands who had gathered to hear her words.

 

But while Keith had been growing up, the Divine had been growing old. She passed away a few years later and the search for a new Diviner began almost immediately.

 

It was a rather pointless effort, in Keith’s opinion. Diviners can only be found when their powers awaken and that was something mortals had no control over. He wasn’t sure who decided when to grant them their abilities or why, but there must be some sort of logic behind the randomness of it all.

 

Though, he found himself completely at a loss over who or what could have decided that this particular man should be the new Divine.

 

Only a year older than Keith, he had been taken from his family when his powers manifested nearly 10 years ago as a 9 year old child - several years younger than most Divines. He was placed into the care of the royal family and began his training immediately. It was a few years after that when Keith heard people whisper that the Divine was probably the best one they’ve had in hundreds of years. He was only 14 when he began calling on the gods powers.

 

From what Keith had been told, this was unusual. Under normal circumstances, a new Divine would be taught their maths and sciences and whatever else counted as basic knowledge in their new life, but they weren’t expected to shoulder the responsibilities of the position until they were an adult. The ceremonies required too much power for a child’s body to handle. However, the rising tension between Altea and the Galra Empire had everyone in the kingdom pretty high-strung, so Keith assumed that he had been pushed harder than most.

 

It was around the time the new Divine had been found that Keith’s father had died and shortly after that his Galra heritage began to reveal itself. He had always known about his mother’s race, despite never knowing her, and with the increasing border skirmishes and looming threat of war hanging over the country, he also knew that it would spell trouble for him. He hid the purple of his ears by growing out his dark hair and then covering the rest with hats or scarves. He hid his hands under gloves and kept the rest of his body covered with layers, just to be safe, but there was nothing he could really do when his eyes began to change from gray to yellow.

 

He had always hoped that he would take more after his human father, but as patches of purple began appearing over his ribcage and the fur started growing along the shell of his suddenly elongated ears, he knew his luck had run out.

 

Still, he made it work. He took odd jobs and didn’t stay in one place for too long. It wasn’t the best life, but he made do with what he had.

 

He met Shiro on the road. As another human in a country of Alteans, he immediately took Keith under his wing and brought him back to the capital. Despite his half-Galra heritage, Shiro managed to convince his superiors to let Keith stay and train under him as a knight at the Academy. They were suspicious at first, as were all the other people that Keith met in the capital, but he worked hard for Shiro’s sake and eventually they came to accept him, some more grudgingly than others. He was hard to ignore when he quickly became one of the best students they ever had.

 

Upon completing his training a whole 2 years earlier than expected, he was given the same assignment that all new knights were given. He was assigned a territory and a schedule, working under three different commanders who would be evaluating him over the course of about a year and a half.

 

He passed with flying colors, of course, and when he had returned to the capital for a permanent duty, it was to discover that his new role was to play bodyguard.

 

Bodyguard for the Divine - the Divine’s Sentinel.

 

Obviously, to be the sole protection for one of Altea’s most essential leaders was a huge honor. One that Keith was certain he didn’t deserve. However, Shiro was adamant that he was the perfect candidate, citing that he consistently outperformed his peers and most of his instructors and the excellent feedback they received from his first assignment.

 

They had argued for several days before Keith finally relented and accepted his new position.

 

Bodyguard was not the type of position he had ever imagined he would have. He had figured that the higher-ups couldn’t wait to get him out and send him to die on the border in some battle they would pretend didn’t happen while the politicians argued about whether or not to declare war.

 

The Divine was already the most protected person in the entire kingdom, even without a dedicated guard. The capital was the safest city that Keith had ever been to and the palace security was better than ever under Shiro’s guidance. There was a small team whose sole purpose was to stand outside the doors of the temple that the Divine lived in, but Keith couldn't imagine anyone slipping by Shiro or the rest of his highly trained palace guards to even make it that far.

 

So, in theory, his new job made sense, but the likelihood of him ever needing to do anything other than stand around looking menacing was pretty low. Not only did it sound boring, he was also going to be forced to deal with all those nobles judging him and whispering to each other when they thought they could get away with it.

 

(He always heard them, whether they cared to lower their voices or not. His hearing had been sharper than alteans or humans since he was a child.)

 

In summary, he was not looking forward to his new job.

 

Meeting his charge had definitely not improved his outlook either. For the first time, he was allowed into the beautiful temple that the Divine inhabited and he had walked out even more conflicted than he was before. Shiro had wanted them to meet and give Keith a brief tour of the building before officially starting his duties.

 

The temple was a freestanding structure that sat in the Northern Courtyard that shone in the midday sun. The same white marble that was used for much of the palace covered the outside of the building but there were far fewer windows. Keith supposed that it had been designed to look as graceful and inspiring as a building could look, with sloping, delicate roofs and precisely cut sides. From the center, a tall white tower rose up, topped with large panes of glass that reflected the sunlight into his eyes when he tried to look at it. Keith was no expert in architecture, but he thought it looked exactly like the kind of building that would house Altea’s most holy person.

 

He had stepped into the polished entryway and he felt like he had walked into a world of crystal and pearl. The walls practically glowed with soft sunlight reflecting off the massive crystal chandelier above the center of the room. Walking closer, into the chamber proper, Keith could look up and see the arched windows that stretched into the sky, practically disappearing into the blue if it weren’t for the frames that held the glass. He had always imagined that the white spire was just as grand on the inside as it was on the outside but he never could have pictured a room quite this breathtaking.

 

Shiro had left him waiting for several minutes while he went to fetch the Divine, leaving Keith plenty of time to admire the magnificent entranceway.

 

There was a ring of white columns around the hall, encircling a large, curved staircase, that marked walkways and obscured doors from the waiting area. He assumed the floor was some sort of marble, though its pearlescent sheen made it appear far too delicate to be any stone that he recognized. The sunlight streamed down to gracefully bounce off the crystals hanging in the chandelier, filling the room with specks of dancing light. Outside, the sun had been too bright, nearly blinding his sensitive eyes, but inside it was dim enough for him see perfectly, even in the midday sun.

 

He knew very little about the new Divine. Not that he knew very much about the old one either, but he felt like he should know more about this one if he was to be guarding him from now on. Keith knew that Divines lived very secluded lives. They were expected to stay inside this temple unless they were attending one of the few festivals that required their presence. And he knew a Divine-in-training was not allowed to leave the palace grounds under any circumstances, so this particular Divine had spent more than half his life inside these walls. Looking around at the splendid opulence, Keith could only guess at what kind of life he must have had being cooped up inside the temple for so many years.

 

When Shiro finally reappeared at the top of the grand staircase, he was leading an altean boy with tanned skin and silver hair. Keith could see the delicate silks and sparkly jewelry he was wearing and straightened his posture.

 

_This must be the Divine._

 

He wasn’t looking at Keith, though. He was engaged in telling Shiro about something that even Keith’s hearing couldn’t pick up on. Sound seemed to be swallowed by the room, rather than echo off the smooth surfaces and he wondered if the place was magicked.

 

As they approached, he could better make out the sound of his voice, but specific words were just out of range when Shiro interrupted him and gestured towards Keith.

 

He watched carefully, wary of the Divine’s reaction to his obvious Galra heritage, but the altean only frowned in apparent confusion and fell silent as they reached the end of stairs.

 

Keith glanced at Shiro as they walked the short distance to him. He gave a reassuring smile.

 

Keith didn’t return it.

 

His eyes flicked back to the Divine who was blatantly scrutinizing him, skimming over Keith’s body with a displeased look.

 

He briefly wondered if there was some sort of protocol he hadn’t been informed of. Was he supposed to bow? Shiro didn’t say anything before he left. He quickly decided that it was better safe than sorry and bent over at the waist with his hand over his heart. It wasn’t the most graceful bow he’s ever given but he hoped it was enough to not offend.

 

He straightened when Shiro politely introduced them, but was Keith barely listening, he was too busy watching every minute reaction flick across that tanned face. At this moment, Keith knew that if the Divine rejected him, there was nothing Shiro could do. All the work that he would have done, all the strings he had to pull, all the influence he had to use to get Keith this opportunity would’ve been wasted. He may not have wanted the job, but he wanted to disappoint Shiro even less.

 

So, he stood as still as possible, keeping his face as devoid of emotion as he waited for his judgement.

 

“You are the Galra knight that I’ve heard about, right?” he finally asked.

 

“Yes,” Keith wasn’t sure if he should correct him about his heritage or not, so he chose not to elaborate. Fortunately, Shiro stepped in.

 

“As I mentioned earlier, he’s only half,” he corrected gently.

 

The Divine made a humming noise as he considered the information before he stepped closer, leaving only a few inches of space between them.

 

He was taller than Keith. Not surprising since most Alteans were. That was the one thing that he got from his human father that hadn’t changed over the past few years as he matured. He didn’t break the eye contact the Divine had made when he advanced on Keith, but he kept his head angled downwards. He hoped that by not looking directly up his gaze wouldn’t be interpreted as defiance.

 

Up close, Keith could see how well his pampered life had treated him. His skin was smooth and clear and his hair, though cut unusually short for one so highly-ranked, was neatly brushed with a natural shine. The sheer scarf around his neck and shoulders glowed in the afternoon sun and the little beads hanging from the silks winked at him as the spots of light moved around the room.

 

In Keith’s opinion, this boy was more beautiful than the exquisite architecture he had just been admiring.

 

He swallowed harshly before he realized what he was doing. He hoped the Divine didn’t see that but, considering how close they were standing and how sharply he was watching him, Keith was certain he not only saw but he could also hear his heart pounding.

 

“I thought you’d be taller,” he said, disappointment lacing his tone.

 

Keith felt his face pinch in annoyance before he could get his reaction under control. It wasn’t like he’d never heard that before, it was always one of the first things that his instructors had said, but somehow the Divine made it sound as though that was the reason he was going to reject him.

 

When Keith failed to respond, he looked to Shiro. “I thought Galra were taller than Alteans?” He sounded less unhappy and more confused this time, but Keith was still braced for the worst.

 

“Yes, they are, Diviner. But Keith is only half, perhaps he took after his human side in height,” Shiro suggested mildly.

 

 _This is stupid_ , Keith thought. If the Divine spent 10 years studying shouldn’t he have figured that out without Shiro’s help?

 

He frowned again, considering Shiro. “But you’re taller than me and you’re completely human.”

 

Shiro gave a short laugh. “Yes, I was rather lucky that both of my parents were taller than average.”

 

Why was his height such a big deal? If he was going to reject Keith he could at least pick something more reasonable to object to.

 

“Hmm…” the Divine hummed again, turning to examine Keith again. “And you were the Academy's best student?”

 

“Yes,” Keith repeated.

 

“What sorts of things did you learn? You learned sword fighting like Shiro did, right?”

 

This was sounding less like the interrogation he had expected and more like genuine curiosity but Keith wasn’t going to let his guard down.

 

“Yes, I learned to fight with a sword.”

 

“Yeah?” the Divine cocked his head to the side and the delicate chains hanging from his silver circlet made soft tinging noises as they jostled against one another. “What else did you learn?”

 

Keith wasn’t sure what to make of this now. Was he trying to make conversation to trick Keith into doing or saying something stupid? Or was his interest genuine?

 

“I was also trained to handle bows, daggers, axes, and spears.” He kept his tone as flat as possible. If he was playing some sort of mind game then Keith wasn’t going to lose.

 

The Divine made an awful snorting laughter through his nose. Keith looked to Shiro for understanding but was only met with exasperation.

 

“You were trained to handle spears?” the Divine questioned, amusement coloring his voice. He raised one eyebrow suggestively.

 

What he was suggesting, though, Keith could not figure out. But the look he was giving made his heartbeat pick up again.

 

“Your Divinity,” Shiro sharply cut in, “I believe you should be returning to your work. And I should show Keith around the temple before he starts tomorrow as your Sentinel.”

 

The Divine broke eye contact with Keith to make a face at Shiro that looked rather like a pout but he finally stepped away. “Yeah, alright,” he relented. Looking back at Keith, he gave a small, pleasant smile. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

 

Keith nodded, unsure of what else to do. The Divine turned away before he could make another sketchy bow and he disappeared between the columns, leaving Keith to stare after him. Though he was wrapped in several layers of silks of various shades of blue and silver, the fabric clung to his form in a rather distracting fashion as he walked away.

 

When the Divine was out of sight, he was snapped out of the trance and his attention switched to Shiro who was giving him a knowing smile and trying not to laugh. He could feel the flush on his cheeks and he turned away attempting to hide his face but it was too late.

 

“Do you think you can handle this?” Shiro asked. His tone was light and teasing, but Keith knew that he took the Divine’s safety seriously.

 

“Yes.” He was attractive, he couldn’t deny that, but he wasn’t so distracting that Keith would be unable to perform his duties.

 

“Alright. Then I suppose I should show you around your new home.”

 

\---

 

That evening, as Keith was moving his few belongings into his new room, Shiro had impressed upon him the severity of the current political climate. He explained that his reasons for choosing him for this role went deeper than just his performance in training. The threat of war hung heavier each day and Shiro was worried that the Divine could be in more danger than ever before. Keith was one of the few people he could trust with such an important responsibility.

 

Shiro asked him to keep his concerns for his safety a secret, especially from the Divine himself. He had just officially taken on his duties as Diviner for the Gods and had plenty to worry about without feeling like he was in danger based only on Shiro’s uneasy suspicions.

 

He nearly told Shiro he should take it back and give the job to someone more experienced but the relief in his voice as he explained that he knew Keith could handle it made him swallow down the last of his protests. Now that he was looking, he could see the stress that this situation was causing him. Instead, Keith promised to do everything he could to keep the Divine safe, as well as keep Shiro’s concerns a secret. His tired smile was all the thanks he needed.

 

Just before they parted ways, Shiro informed him that they were working on upgrading the defenses for the temple and that in a few weeks he should be enjoying a little more free time. Until then, he was expected to spend nearly every minute of the day with the Divine.

 

Keith wondered how long it was going to take for him to be bored out of his mind.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its all pearl's fault that this isnt a massive 15k oneshot and is now an ongoing fic and i have no idea where this train is stopping. please blame her for this
> 
> come scream at me @ lance-legstrong.tumblr.com
> 
> for those of you waiting, move your body will be the next update i promise


	2. Under the Spell of Moonlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: i've split the first chapter in two. sorry for any confusion!

   
He couldn’t sleep. His bed was too soft, the sheets were silk, it was too quiet - his list of discomforts could go on for hours. He hadn’t seen the Divine again after their initial meeting, but he knew that he was sleeping in the room on the the other side of this wall, which was also distracting as Shiro’s words of caution earlier worried at him. His thoughts swirled around in his head until he finally gave up and stood. It was after midnight so, technically, it was his first day of work. It wouldn't hurt to get an early start on what he had been hired to do.

 

He looked at his boots, left next to his bed for easy dressing in the morning, and decided to leave them. Silently, he padded through his room to the door.

 

This room that he had been given as his permanent lodgings for the duration of his assignment was the largest room he had ever slept in alone. It had a separate washroom, a closet so large that he could walk inside it, and a balcony that already had a small table and a couple of chairs set up. Altogether, it was probably the size of the shack he had lived in with his father when he was a child. He had no idea what to do with all this space.

 

The attendant who had shown him to his room, Shay, had apologized that the room was missing furniture. He had no idea what it could be missing, though. It had a wide bed and small table next to it and an armchair near the glass window in front of the balcony. This was more than what he needed.

 

Pulling the door open, he found that the hinges didn’t even squeak. The lack of noise in this place was starting to unnerve him.

 

He left the door open as he stole down the hall to the only other door - it was a set of doors, actually. Pausing to check for any noises, he decided the coast was clear and he tested one of the knobs. It wasn’t locked.

 

The security in this place was terrible. Although, he supposed, he was now part of the security. He made a mental note to ask the Divine to lock his door at night and to have a spare key given to him, just in case.

 

He pushed gently and the door gave in easily. He opened it just enough to peek inside.

 

The room wasn’t as dark as he had expected. None of the lights were lit but the heavy curtains were pulled back and the moonlight filled the room. Pushing the door even further, he could see a massive bed against the back wall but he couldn’t see anyone in it.

 

Now concerned, pushed the door even farther and poked his head inside.

 

Smash!

 

His head hit the other door from the impact.

 

“Oh! Keith?! Is that you?”

 

He recognized the Divine’s voice as the door was ripped from his hand, swinging open the rest of the way.

 

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

 

Keith opened his eyes just in time to see the pillow drop to the floor. So that’s what he had been hit with.

 

“Yes, I’m fine,” he grumbled out, running a hand along his face and the back of his head to check for damage. He hadn’t been hit that hard, but head injuries were not something to be taken lightly.

 

“Here, sit down for a minute.” He gestured farther into his room to a comfy looking sofa.

 

“No, thank you. I’m fine,” Keith repeated. He was a bit dizzy but he already established that he suffered no serious injuries. Now that he had determined the Divine wasn’t in any sort of danger, he just wanted to go back to his room and try to sleep again.

 

The Divine frowned at him before a hand suddenly shot out and clamped onto Keith’s arm. He dragged him from the doorway to the sitting area. Keith allowed himself to be man-handled and forcibly sat in a cushy armchair lit by moonlight. He wasn’t sure if fighting over whether or not he should sit would upset him enough to bring it up to Shiro.

 

“Are you injured?” he asked again, leaning his head around to examine Keith.

 

“No, I am alright.” Keith was getting sick of answering this question.

 

The Divine frowned at him again. He wished he would stop doing that; the more he saw it, the cuter it was. His brow furrowed in annoyance as he thought and his lips pushed up into a pout. Keith was beginning to dislike how his heart decided to pick up and send adrenaline through his veins whenever he was on the receiving end of that look.

 

“I don’t believe you,” he announced. “Do you feel dizzy? Lightheaded?” he continued to press for answers.

 

“I told you, I’m fine,” Keith insisted. He wouldn’t be much of a bodyguard if he couldn’t take a pillow to the head.

 

The frown deepened and Keith could tell that he was becoming more than just a little annoyed by his responses. He hoped that he wasn’t in trouble already. Shiro would never forgive him if he got dismissed on the first day because he tried to sneak into the Divine’s room in the middle of the night.

 

“Don’t move,” was all he said before he carefully placed his hands on either side of Keith’s head, pushing some of his hair out of the way so he could look for any surface damage.

 

Keith couldn’t move even if he wanted to. The moment that his fingers made contact with the side of his face, he froze. He had thought his heartbeat was loud in the entrance hall that afternoon but that was nothing compared to the drumming that was going on inside his chest now.

 

This close, he could smell the floral soap that the Divine had used earlier in his bath. It was mixing with the slightly salty musk of his skin and Keith wanted nothing more in that moment than to bury his face in crook of his neck and breathe in the scent. It didn’t help when the Divine leaned closer to examine his scalp and his loose-fitting nightclothes fell forward to give him a view of his chest.

 

He blinked harshly and forced his eyes somewhere, anywhere, else. They settled on the tan arms on one side of his head and he focused on watched them move as his fingers gently pushed his hair out of the way.

 

“Hmm… It looks like you might have a bruise,” he finally said. “Do you feel dizzy or lightheaded?”

 

Again with this question.

 

“No,” he repeated. He wasn’t sure if it was a lie or not this time. The Divine was still too close and smelled too good for him to think straight.

 

“Alright.” This time he accepted his answer and Keith silently cheered for the small victory in his mind.

 

But he didn’t move away like Keith had expected. Instead, he settled against the arm of the chair next to him.

 

“I’m going to heal this for you.”

 

“Uhm… What?” Very eloquent, Keith.

 

He smiled down at him. It was a bit lopsided and almost a smirk. Like he was proud to show off but uncertainty still haunted the edges of his thoughts. “I said ‘I’m going to heal this.’”

 

“Yes, I got that,” he said. “How?”

 

His smile got wider but not any more confident. “I’m the Divine. I can heal injuries,” he explained.

 

Keith wondered if he was capable of actually doing it. He had no idea what sorts of powers a Divine had, but he supposed healing made sense.

 

He watched Keith for a moment, waiting for a response, but he decided not to argue and simply turned so the back of his head was more easily accessible.

 

Keith felt the fingers in his hair again, pulling the strands so they hung over his shoulder. He tried not to think about how nice it felt.

 

“Okay, I need you to stay still for this part.”

 

Keith hadn’t been moving when he said it but he made sure to keep his attention on remaining as still as possible.

 

He saw the soft blue light bouncing off the chair and the wall next to him before he felt the warmth begin to seep into his scalp. It was soothing, even more so than the fingers carding through his hair, and he almost sank back against the arm of the chair before he remembered.

 

His focus on staying motionless began slipping as the seconds ticked by and drowsiness began to overtake him.

 

“Okay. All done,” the Divine said, pulling his hands away. The light and heat both faded.

 

Keith almost wished that he had gotten hurt more seriously, if only so that it would’ve taken longer for him to heal the injury. But, if he had spent any more time under his treatment, Keith would’ve definitely fallen asleep right here.

 

He turned back so he could see the Divine, still perched against the arm of the chair. He was looking tired but his smile was more easygoing now.

 

“Thank you.”

 

The Divine laughed, it was a soft chuckle that made Keith smile in return, though he had no idea what was so funny.

 

“Well, it was kinda my fault, since I hit you with a pillow.”

 

Keith shook his head in disagreement. “You wouldn’t have hit me if I hadn’t tried to sneak into your room in the middle of the night.”

 

This only made him laugh again, harder this time. Keith was going to find himself addicted to the sound if he wasn’t careful.

 

“I guess that’s true. What were you doing peeking into my room, anyways?” The amusement was still there, but he was eyeing Keith suspiciously, trying to puzzle out his actions.

 

“I... “ Keith wasn’t sure how to explain his sudden urge to check on him without breaking his promise to Shiro. “I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I would get an early start on my duties.”

 

His face screwed up in confused amusement. “I’m pretty sure your only duty is to keep me safe.”

 

“Yes,” Keith said.

 

He laughed again, adjusting his weight against the piece of furniture. “Well, you’re new around here, so I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He leaned forward to whisper conspiringly. It was ridiculous since they were the only people in the entire residential wing. “The only things that you’ll have to worry about are me accidentally burying myself under a bookcase because I was too stubborn to get the ladder. Or me stubbing my toe on a particularly dangerous end table. Or anytime that Allura comes to visit.” He leaned back, looking satisfied with his own lame joke.

 

“I see, I suppose I’ll have to keep an eye out for suspicious furniture, then.” Keith couldn’t help but continue it. The Divine wasn’t talking to him like the other stuffy aristocrats who looked down their noses at him and the relief he felt at that made him lower his guard somewhat. “Your safety is my one and only priority, after all. Thank you for your immensely helpful insight,” he teased.

 

It was worth it to see the way the Divine’s face lit up. “Ohh, so you make jokes now too? I thought Shiro was the only guard who had a sense of humor.”

 

“He is. They only pick people who are immune to all types of fun to be guards. I have never made a joke in my life.” He was careful to keep his tone flat and serious, but the way that he was smiling at Keith made it difficult to control. “Shiro only got in because of his looks.”

 

“He is rather pretty,” he agreed through his laughter. “But I find it hard to believe that you, a worldly and experienced knight, have never even attempted a joke,” he teased in return, leaning towards Keith. Their eyes locked and his world narrowed down to this beautiful man hovering over him illuminated by silvery moonlight.

 

“Never,” he repeated firmly. He wasn’t sure how he was maintaining his straight face right now. “Being serious and broody is all I’m capable of.” The scent of him was starting to overpower his senses and he almost wished that he would move away.

 

“I see,” he said, lowering his voice. His eyes broke away from Keith’s to flick down to his lips and then back up. “That’s a shame. I think you’d have a very good sense of humor.” He was still moving closer. “I’d love to hear you laugh, too.”

 

Keith wondered for a second how he hadn’t fallen over yet, considering the awkward angle that he was now leaning at. Most of his weight was still being supported by the chair but if he kept moving, there was a very good chance of him sliding off and landing half on his lap and half on the floor.

 

He made a decision before he even realized there were options. Standing quickly, he put an arm around the Divine and pulled him upwards too. He was reluctant to let go but he let his hand drop back to his side before he could be accused of being improper.

 

The Divine gave him a confused look and he practically jumped to explain himself.

 

“Your Divinity, I believe I’ve identified a potentially dangerous piece of furniture.”

 

‘Dangerous’ was right. He felt like he was under a spell sitting there watching him move closer and closer. One that he still hadn't shaken the effects of. If the Divine moved any nearer now Keith knew he would be powerless to stop him.

 

“I see,” he repeated, the humor was back but it was subdued. Keith thought he sounded disappointed, but if things had continued they way they were going, then they both would have regretted it in the morning. “Thank you for your excellent work, Keith.”

 

“Just doing my duty,” he replied, trying to keep his voice impersonal. He was certain he didn’t succeed. He was still too close to not be distracted by the pounding in his chest and the intoxicating scent.

 

“Of course,” the Divine agreed, voice just above a whisper. He was standing there looking down at Keith, searching his face for something.

 

“Perhaps you should retire for the evening, Your Divinity,” he suggested when it became apparent that the other man wasn't going to continue.

 

“Yes, I suppose you are right.” He didn't even try to hide his disappointment this time. He sighed a little dramatically and turned to look towards his bed.

 

Keith could tell the exact moment he got an idea by the way his posture suddenly straightened.

 

The Divine turned back to him, lips curled into a sly smile. “My dear Keith,” he started slowly, gauging his reaction. Keith liked the way his name sounded on his tongue, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear the rest of his words right now. Whatever he had planned in that pretty head of his was only going to spell trouble one way or another.

 

“Would you perhaps be kind enough to inspect the rest of my room for danger before I retire?” The words sounded so innocent, the way he said them, but his gaze was full of heat and Keith felt like he was playing with fire.

 

This was dangerous, he reminded himself. Regardless of what the Divine’s intentions were, he was going to get burned eventually.

 

But Keith had never been good at quitting while he was ahead.

 

“Of course, Most Heavenly.” Keith wanted to hate the rush of excitement that he felt when he said the words. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was even agreeing to, but it felt good.

 

He hesitated for a moment, eyes flicking over the Divine’s face, taking in his features. The moon was full and bright, encasing his lithe figure in silvery light and leaving half his face in dark shadow. His eyes sparkled in the moonglow, framed by long, delicate lashes and Keith tried to remember if he had noticed what color they were earlier. They were pale and soft in this lighting and hard to make out with his pupils so dilated. The Divine blinked slowly at him and Keith could see him bite at the inside of his lip.

 

He decided figuring out eye color could wait until he had better light to see by in the morning.

 

He dragged his attention away to look around the room. It was over double the size of his own living space and it was littered with furniture. In the 5-foot radius around him there were two armchairs, a large sofa, three small tables of varying dimensions, and a fireplace. Along the walls were several display tables, two bookshelves, and another armchair with a table and a footstool. The bed was located on an elevated floor on the other side of the room and he could make out a rod that ran along the ceiling with curtains to separate the sleeping area from the rest of the space.

 

Keith glanced back at the Divine, who was now looking at him expectantly.

 

Turning away, he began to make a show of checking the furniture. What he was looking for, he honestly had no idea, but it was making him smile at Keith so he kept doing it. Bending over to check the legs of tables and running his hands along the sides of chairs, he made a point to inform the Divine of every sharp corner or heavy object that would likely hurt if he accidentally kicked it or something.

 

It was a relief to escape the intensity of being in such close proximity. The Divine didn’t have the poised serenity that the previous one did but he was no less magnetic and Keith felt drunk on his presence. Allowing himself some space gave him time to recover some of his senses. This was the Divine. The most Holy and important person in Altea. The man that guided the heart of their people. And he was flirting with Keith.

 

It had been a while since someone had shown enough interest to actually make an effort to win him over like this but he could still recognize the signs. He was beyond flattered, of course, but it didn’t make any sense. As such an important person, he should recognize that getting involved with anyone of Galra descent would be a bad idea.

 

Keith, though, knew that any dalliances with this man would backfire and he would bear the brunt of it. Which he supposed he could live with, provided he knew what the Divine’s intentions were, but when things blew up it wouldn’t just be him standing in the blast. As the one who fought to get him here, Shiro would also have to suffer the consequences of Keith’s actions.

 

One night (or even many nights) of pleasure wasn’t worth that.

 

Not to mention, Keith wasn’t even sure if the Divine was allowed to engage in such behavior. He knew that, as the official speaker for the Gods, he was not permitted to marry or have a family, but he had no idea if there were rules about sex. Based on the Divine’s behavior tonight, he guessed not, but it was still something he would like to know.

 

As he walked around, it was starting to feel less and less like anyone actually lived in this room. There weren’t any dings or scratches on the wood and all of the cushions on the chairs looked un-sat upon. The only signs that someone had even been in here recently were the sheets that had been disturbed on the bed and the lone cup on a table near the bookshelves with a small amount of water left inside.

 

The Divine simply followed him around the room making soft agreeing noises to all of his statements. Keith was fairly sure that he wasn’t listening, but he was watching and that was more than enough for him.

 

He hesitated to ascend the stairs to approach the bed, and instead walked all the way around it, only commenting on the potential danger of tripping over the large area rug on his way towards the large glass doors that led out to the balcony.

 

From the corner of his vision, he could see the Divine smirking at him, as if he could sense his uncertainty, but he only hummed in response.

 

Keith was quickly running out of furniture in the main room. He supposed he could move on to the large bathroom that he could see through an open door but that felt almost as intimate as inspecting the bed.

 

“Ser Keith,” he suddenly addressed him. This was the first time the Divine had called him by title and it wasn’t something he got to hear very often. Sometimes he felt like he was lucky if people used his name rather than an insult.

 

He turned around to find The Divine standing near the steps. The light from the window didn’t reach far enough into the room to illuminate his face. The shadow cut across his jaw at an angle, leaving his expression in darkness except for his eyes, which were sparkling in the reflected moonlight.

 

“Perhaps you should inspect the place that I will be sleeping,” he suggested.

 

Keith could have politely declined, citing that the Divine should be able to determine any potential danger based on what he had already said, but he’s already come this far. He wasn’t sure how much longer this game was going to go on but it was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

 

Instead, he nodded and made his way to the stairs. The Divine waited and followed him up to the raised platform and next to the bed.

 

Keith had been a little lost on what to say about the dangers of an armchair but that was nothing compared to how he felt standing in front of the Divine’s comfortable-looking bed. The sheets were a soft, white cotton instead of the silk that he had expected and had been thrown back as if he had gotten up suddenly before Keith had come in. There was a single woven blanket, faded blue and tangled in the white sheets, that didn’t match the crisp perfection of the rest of the room. The many pillows had been tossed randomly around the mattress but he could not even guess as to why.

 

“Well? Is it safe?” The Divine asked quietly.

 

“Yes, I believe so,” he replied, not even bothering to pretend to inspect the piece of furniture. This had been exciting but now that he was here, standing between the most holy person in all of Altea and his bed in the middle of the night, Keith understood just how precarious his situation was. He didn’t know what the Divine was planning but he was absolutely certain it was going to get him fired, at best. Most likely, it would lead to execution.

 

He took a step back from the bed.

 

“Are you certain?” The Divine came up behind him to look over his shoulder. His chest was close enough to Keith’s back that he could feel his body heat and that flowery, musky scent flooded his nose again.

 

Keith scrunched his face at the smell and stepped to the side and away.

 

“So long as you are careful not to accidently kick the frame or roll off in your sleep, then you should be quite safe,” he said, looking for a way around the Divine to get back to the door.

 

“I see.” Moving around Keith, he sat gracefully on the edge of the mattress, looking up at him through his lashes. The wide collar of his nightclothes had fallen over his shoulder and Keith had to tear his eyes away from the soft skin that had been exposed.

 

“I should leave you to rest for the evening.” He needed to leave while he still could.

 

The Divine cocked his head to the side, further exposing his neck. Keith couldn’t look away this time.

 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I could fall off in my sleep and hurt myself. Perhaps you should stay close to me tonight to make sure.”

 

Keith couldn’t formulate a response, too busy trying to will away the arousal that was making itself harder to ignore in his sleep pants.

 

“You could sleep next to me - I have plenty of space. Besides, I can’t sleep either.” He crossed his legs, causing the shift he was wearing to settle over his knee, displaying his bare leg and he leaned back on his arms. It was a very clear invitation.

 

He wanted to stay. He wasn’t sure if anything had ever sounded so good in his life, but he knew it would be a mistake. A mistake that Shiro would also have to answer for. If it was just Keith that would be affected by this, then he would’ve thrown caution to the wind at the pretty picture that the Divine was painting for him.

 

“I… I sh-should really be roo-, uh, getting back to my room,” he managed to stutter out. His body was slow to respond and he stood staring at the Divine’s seductive expression for several seconds. “Well, uh, good night, Your Divinity.” He backed up a couple more steps before he remembered the stairs were not directly behind him and he forcefully tore his eyes away, making a very quick escape.

 

He wasn’t sure what to do about the pillow that was still in front of the door and he looked over his shoulder at the Divine for some sort of direction. He hadn’t moved from his spot on the bed except to frown at him. He looked angry and Keith came to the conclusion that he should leave as fast as possible. Resisting the urge to simply kick the offending item out of his way, he reached down and placed it on the closest table, fortunately clear of pretty nicknacks. He couldn’t resist one last look at the figure glaring at him from the bed before he shut the door.

 

As soon as it clicked closed, he heard a frustrated groan echo through the room. He wondered for a moment if the Divine tried to seduce all of his guards or if he had just decided to target Keith for some reason.

 

He leaned against the wall next to the door and focused on steadying his heartbeat. He needed to get himself back under control or this assignment was not going to last very long.

 

Several minutes passed as he reveled in the silence of the hallway, finally feeling his body calm enough that he might actually be able to sleep for a few hours before officially starting his duties in the morning. If tonight was any indication, he was going to need all the rest he could get.

 

He hadn’t thought the Divine would still be awake after he had made his escape, but he could hear faint sounds from the other side of the door. Keith leaned closer and pressed his ear against the wood. His heightened sense of hearing allowed him to pick up the low, breathy moans of the Divine and the shifting of sheets.

 

He pulled away as if the door itself had burned him and he decided that sleep would probably not be happening any time soon. Making his way back down the hallway to his room, he quickly changed into his uniform and left to wander the halls for the rest of the night.

 


	3. Day One of the Most Boring Job Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as some of you may have noticed, i've split the first chapter in two. and since i didnt want to get everyone's hopes up and then disappoint you all, here is a short 2k chapter to tide you over until the smut in the next chapter :)
> 
> thanks pearlgirl710 for all your help!!

By the time the Divine had emerged from the double doors, the sun had been up for several hours and Keith had been waiting, leaning against the wall, for nearly that whole time. He had seen Shay take a meal in on a tray and leave 15 minutes later without it and he had assumed that it wouldn’t be too long before the Divine would be ready to start his day. That was two hours ago.

He had thought several times about sitting on the floor as he waited but he didn’t know what to expect when his charge finally made his appearance and he didn’t want to be caught off-guard this time. He was at enough of a disadvantage without any sleep.

The Divine pulled the door shut behind him slowly. His eyes met Keith’s and he looked almost as tired as he felt.

“Good morning, Your Divinity,” Keith greeted, forcing his tone to be clear and emotionless.

The Divine gave him a glare and swept past him without a word.

Keith took that as a sign that he wasn’t in a talking mood this morning and simply followed him in silence.

The morning passed into afternoon without event. The Divine spent the whole time in the spacious library reading quietly and making notes. There were piles of books and papers that had been left on the table, presumably from the day before, that took up the entire surface. Keith couldn’t read most of the titles. He had been taught his letters as part of his training at the Academy and even he would admit that he wasn’t the best at it, but most of the words appeared to be foreign. He wondered how many languages the Divine knew.

As he worked, Keith spent his time gazing around the room. Shiro had walked him in here yesterday but he only had a chance to glance around before they moved on the next place. Now that he had time, it was hard not to admire the beauty of the architecture. The library wasn’t a single room, instead it was made up of a large sitting room with desks and tables and comfortable chairs and several smaller rooms filled with bookshelves. Keith didn’t want to wander too far from where the Divine was working, but he poked his head into one of the archways separating the spaces. The dark wood shelves were built directly onto the walls and they covered the surface so there was no place that wasn’t stuffed with books. The shelf-walls came all the way down to create low passageways into the next book-filled room. Keith angled his head to see into that space from where he stood and found that the archways continued, creating a twisting series of spaces that were brimming with books and papers.

He couldn’t see any further without leaving the sitting room so he turned back. Maybe he’d get a chance to explore more later.

Still, the sitting room had plenty of things for him to look at while he waited for whatever came next in the Divine’s schedule for the day.

The room was made up of two levels, though most of it was open space. One wall consisted of two large arched windows that reached all the way to the ceiling, allowing the sunlight to stream in. The remaining walls were either covered up by large paintings, or by shelves made of the same wood that had been used in the smaller book rooms. There were at least four ladders leaning against them throughout the room. The two opulent spiral staircases in the corners of the room were covered in the same pearlescent stone that was used for all the floors, except for the metal banisters that had been shaped into swirling designs and coated with silver.

There was another crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. This one was larger than the one in the entrance hall, but the details were less refined. Two smaller versions hung on either side and there were strings of crystals connecting them, making the three appear to all be one unit.

As the time ticked by and Keith became less entranced with his surroundings, he found that his exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him. He had tried to take a short nap just before dawn but was unsuccessful.

Shay appeared again near midday, bringing the Divine his meal. She didn’t speak to him, merely smiled and pushed a stack of books out of the way and left the tray next to the papers he was writing on.

She looked over to Keith, who was looking at a plaque on the wall just below a painting of a landscape he didn’t recognize, and smiled at him too before she left.

Reappearing a few minutes later, she brought Keith a tray of food as well. He thanked her quietly and found an empty table in the corner where he could eat and still see his charge.

He wasn’t sure what he was working on that was so important, but the Divine didn’t even look at his meal until Keith was just about done. It took him nearly an hour to finish eating because he would take a few bites and then go back to his notes for several minutes.

His behavior was a far cry from the flirtatious tease of last night and Keith was having trouble reconciling the two. As he moved about the room, he snuck glances at the Divine, trying to get a read on his face. Unfortunately, the piles of books blocked him from most angles, but when he did manage to catch a glimpse Keith could see he was deep in thought. He probably wasn’t even aware that anyone else was even in the room with him.

It was midafternoon when Shay returned to inform the Divine that it was teatime.

He stretched in his seat and Keith did not watch as his arms raised above his head and his spine curved. And he definitely didn’t hear the little groan he made.

Keith stood when he did, prepared to follow him to wherever he was going. He looked happier than he did this morning, with a small smile playing on his lips. He must really be looking forward to his leaf juice and little sweets, Keith supposed.

Shay stopped him before he could leave to inform him that the princess would not be able to make it today.

The smile faded, leaving his face cold and emotionless. He thanked her but even his voice was devoid of feeling before he quickly strode away.

Keith followed a few steps behind as he made his way towards the enclosed garden and when he opened the door he stopped for a moment before turning around.

“Your presence is not required in here,” he said sharply.

Keith blinked in surprise. Shiro had told him that he was to follow the Divine from the moment he left his room in the morning until he retired for the evening. But before he could protest the dismissal, he had already closed the door behind him, leaving Keith alone in the hallway.

 _Now what?_ He looked around at the empty space. Should he go in anyway? His instructions explicitly stated that he was supposed to be able to see the Divine at all times. But he had already upset him once and he was clearly not in the mood to tolerate Keith disobeying a direct order. Although, technically, his orders came from Shiro… And as his guardian, Keith was allowed to open the door and follow him despite his wishes.

Keith decided that the temple was probably safe enough for him to be out of sight for an hour or so and he settled on the floor against the wall, closing his tired eyes.

He fell asleep to the soft sounds of clinking dishware from beyond the heavy wood.

\---

At the sound of the doorknob turning, Keith’s eyes snapped open. He scrambled to his feet but he had already been caught. The Divine was looking at him from the doorway, very obviously displeased to find him slacking off. Keith stood at attention as if that would make up for sleeping on the job.

However, it seemed that the Divine still wasn’t interested in speaking to him and he simply walked past him without a word.

Keith waited for a moment before following him back to the table in the library. He was careful not to get distracted by the decorations this time and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching the Divine scribble notes. Not the most exciting way to spend his day, but he’s already screwed up too many times so he stubbornly kept his eyes on the figure hunched over the table.

It wasn’t all bad, he figured. Despite turning down his invitation last night, Keith was still very much attracted to him and this was an excuse to stare, which he took full advantage of.

Despite being so pretty, watching the Divine write in his journals got very boring, Keith discovered, and he soon found his thoughts drifting. He still could not shake the memories of last night and he found himself wondering often what His Holiness had intended by attempting to seduce his lone bodyguard before his first day even began.

Was it a test of some sort? Or was he that desperate for company? Was it meant to be for one night only or was it simply the first in an ongoing arrangement?

Keith couldn’t help but think about how the night would’ve gone differently if he had stayed - if he had given in and taken the offer. He tried not to think about what the Divine would be like in bed but he found that the thought often crossed his mind.

The evening passed much as the morning had, the only difference being Keith’s suffering in the wake of his newfound moral crises.

By the time the Divine put aside his writing instruments for the night, Keith had managed to convince himself that he had noticed Keith’s attraction to him yesterday afternoon and was merely toying with him in an effort to get him fired. It probably wasn’t the most logical deduction but he had nothing to do for hours except sit around and chase thoughts of apprehension and suspicion.

Keith stood, relieved at the idea of returning to the solitude of his room for the evening. Despite his discomforts from the night before, he was going to be asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Following his charge quietly, he thought of nothing more than his uncomfortable bed all the way to the double doors of the Divine’s room.

He stopped when he pulled the door open to address Keith, much like he had earlier that afternoon.

“Ser Keith.” The look he gave him was less angry than it had been before.

“Yes, Your Divinity?” He hoped this wasn’t going to take very long.

“I want to see you in my room in 2 hours. You won’t need your uniform,” he said simply before he disappeared into his room without waiting for acknowledgment from Keith.

Once again, Keith found himself alone in a hallway, staring at a door.

What could he want 2 hours from now? He didn’t seem upset any more. Keith tried to contemplate what mood the Divine was in now. Perhaps ‘determined’ was the best word?

Either way, the order did not bode well for Keith.

He trudged to his room, wondering what he could do to occupy himself until he was to report back. A nap was out of the question - he was certain that if he fell asleep now, he would not wake until morning. He looked around, spying the door to the washroom.

A bath was something he could do to pass the time. He was supposed to leave his uniform here, anyway.

He shed his armor and left it, along with his sword and boots, near the bed before he made his way to the open door.


End file.
